Among the many pilgrims who journeyed to Naples in the 'holy year' of 1725 was a certain Johann Joachim Quantz, who would later become the most famous flautist of his time thanks to his patron Frederick the Great. Quantz's visit to the city coincided with a burst of musical creativity. Works premiered in that year included sonatas and concertos composed by the great Alessandro Scarlatti and a host of works by his talented contemporaries and successors. On this recording, recorder virtuoso Maurice Steger brings a selection of these musical treasures back to life, drawing on a Neapolitan manuscript collection dating from 1725. The performers accompanying him on the recording include some of the leading specialists in music of the period, and the bonus DVD offered with the CD features musical commentary and performances from the recording sessions.

The Baltimore SunMaurice Steger could disarm the most recorder-adverse listener with a single phrase. He combines a startling level of technical bravura with an ability to breathe sincerity and purpose into even the most floridly decorative phrase.

American Record Guide, January/February 2013I have seldom heard more simultaneous fire and precision out of an early music ensemble. Maurice Steger is not only a good recorder player; he is also magnificently gifted as a conductor of great vitality. A bonus with this recording is a DVD of about 30 minutes, showing the musicians at work. It enhances the listening experience for me by confirming that the palpable intensity is genuine.

Classical Music, March 2013Harmonia mundi's recorded sound is first rate, and the colour palatte of the continuo team - psaltery and all - is wonderfully wide. Steger's recorder playing is fresh and alluring, clear and soft-edged by turns.

Early Music Review, December 2012Maurice Steger always produces exciting recordings, and his brilliant but lyrical playing is well matched by a small one-to-a-part ensemble ... beautifully performed and recorded.

Gramophone Magazine, December 2012Much of the success of the pieces has to do with the instrumentation, though how much of that came from the manuscripts or Steger's imagination is hard to say...As for Steger's own playing, he has rare solidity and precision, plus almost any shade of colour that he can imagine.

International Record Review, November 2012A captivating, bracing and powerfully muscular performance... Steger's thoughtful and adroit recorder playing is delightfully enticing... exquisitely cultivated and fastidiously controlled... a superbly played and recorded issue.